Rustic Serendipity at Pengerang

Spontaneity ruled Good Friday 2013 as Siow Har or I made an unplanned trip to Pengerang. It was 3 years ago (also on Good Friday) that we first discovered the Malaysian coastal town famous for its lobster dishes and had wanted to revisit ever since.

Although we’ve been to Pengerang before, what we intended to do this time round bordered on madness. We wanted to cycle from Sungai Rengit (the chief township in Pengerang) to Desaru, which is 30km away, and back. Total distance : 60km.

The distance we decided to cover may be a yawn to seasoned cyclists but for leisure paddlers like us who don’t own a bike and cycled only when the moon turned blue, 60km is a killer.

But we did it anyway without worrying thinking too much into or understanding fully what that amount of cycling can do to us. We learnt the hard (and long) way that long-distance cycling is not something to be spontaneous about but requires careful research, more so than regular holiday sightseeing.

Packed for an adventure of the unexpected. Our Pengerang trip began with an hour’s bumboat ride from Singapore Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal. The bumboat’s retro imprints felt like time had stood still.

We didn’t reach our destination, missing by about another 5-6km, but it was a personal feat nonetheless. Our return cycling tour covered a total distance of about 50km and we took 7 hours due to the many photo stops we made along the way.

That’s the great thing about being the masters of our own journey, we had control over when to stop and were able to explore many places off the usual tourist track. And also discovered parts of our bodies we never knew existed if not for the strains and cramps we endured under such an extreme physical expedition.

I will post up more info, tips and details about the experience later over at Explore Life Lah!. For now, this post will capture snapshots from the rustic-scenic ride and beautiful encounters along the way!

Leaping with energy on reaching Sungai Rengit, the chief township of Pengerang, This photo was taken in front of a small sea-facing Chinese temple off the main road.

Rode warrior! Golden wheat fields and an unbroken chain of balmy coconut trees accompanied our ride on the right while to the left, sand quarrying had defaced mother nature.

Small girl with big bag against a long road and monster trucks. I take my hats off to Siow Har who completed the rigorous trip carrying a backpack that could’ve easily weighed 10kg. We were given a lot of dust facials as cars and industrial vehicles whipped up clouds of smog as they passed us by.

Saw 2 abandoned godowns and decided to check them out. Glad we did because the aura of neglect made for a splendid bask on camera.

Relishing a chance to get upclose with the padi fields carpeting Pergerang’s countryside.

Siow Har fell off her bike and while we checked for injuries (thankfully it was just a bruise), we also surveyed the surrounding burnt field and saw these dandelions ready to seed. I’ve never seen a dandelion in the wild before.

Statuesque trees lined our route with numerous picturesque moments.

Every so often while travelling in a car or coach, such beautiful sceneries sweep past in the blink of an eye. Riding a bike, I am able to savour nature at my own pace and retain its beauty in my SD card.

When we first rode past this scene, it was high tide. On our way back, the waters have receded and revealed a web of mangroves that led to a single treeling rising above the waves.

Took a rest stop at Punggai Beach and hiding in the shade to cool off my badly burnt knees and shin. My chicken legs are proof that I hardly cycle.

We didn’t reach the more popular and touristy Desaru Beach but we found our spot on the quieter Punggai Beach about 15km away. It is not about settling for the next best thing, but appreciating where we’ve arrived at for getting anywhere required a lot of effort. Often, we’re too focused on arriving at our goal and missed being grateful for the minor successes along the way.

There were 3 things against us on the road trip – the scorching sun, state of mind and our bodies. The heat was relentless and coming face-to-face with a long winding road that stretches endlessly into the horizon was a test on determination. I’ve wanted to turn back a couple of times but pressed on. Not looking ahead and just focusing on my front wheel helped keep the mind from being overwhelmed. But alas, the body has its limits. Our legs were cramping so badly, especially after conquering a slope, to the point that I can feel every part of my leg muscles. Thank goodness we had Tiger Balm!

This was the last point we got to before turning back. Desaru should be under 10km away but it was already 4pm and we were worried that our ride back may coincide with nightfall. We didn’t want to risk being roadkill as the country roads lacked street lamps. After this shot, we cycled the 24km back to Sungai Rengit. *Pant*

Pointing to where we cycled to on a map at Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal. Sungai Rengit is at the lower tip of the light green map and Desaru is where the figure of a swimmer is above my finger.

It had been one tough ride from Sungai Rengit but an awesome adventure! Will definitely attempt it again and make it to Desaru the next time!

Related Post : Pengerang – A Cycling Tour from Sugai Rengit to Desaru

到乌敏岛迎夏

 

On the Heels of Nature

Superb weather today for a jog to torch my binge on Chinese New Year goodies before the festivities even begun. It’s the Year of the Snake but I’m snacking like a pen full of pigs.

Since my not-so-recent woes with a bad neck that has rendered me ungymmable, the only retaliation I have against my runaway appetite was cardio laps at the pool or any distance my legs would carry me. On this sun-drenched day, a long-haul jog itched my chicken feet so I decided to take on the running terrain of MacRitchie Reservoir.

Macaque monkeys run wild at their waterside sanctuary and give city dwellers like me the thrill of encountering wildlife.

After I did a photoshoot at the reservoir some months back to test-drive the Casio Exilim ZR200 compact camera, my affection for the oldest reservoir in Singapore was rekindled. The waterside oasis is a less than 15-minutes bus ride from home yet I wasn’t visiting it often enough. Jogging here provides a much needed escape from urbanity and really refreshing.

But the bad thing is, I tend to do more photographing than running. A one-hour jog usually get extended beyond two hours with all that camera breaks to snap anything from scenery to flora and fauna. Then again, the beauty at MacRitchie Reservoir is a welcomed distraction and definitely made the run more interesting!

Say cheese? This fella was shy at first but when it saw my handphone pointing at it to snap pics, it promptly moved towards me through the foliage. I think it wanted to snatch my phone so I backed away. After a few rounds of our back-and-forth tango, it stood there and opened its mouth as if to scold me!

Felt great running so close to a body of water with the dusking sun reflected on ripples of gold.

Awesomeness!

My favourite photo from this evening’s jog. I took a new trail and came across this scene just as the sun was dipping behind a low hill. I was so awed by the beauty before me.

The run led me by the waters and into the dense forest. Light was fast failing and being caught in the forest when it’s dark unnerved me. So I ran faster…

… and continued to stop to take photos. I should be running but this bald tree rooted my feet. All around it, every plant was leafy green but this one stood solemnly naked by itself. “Don’t leaf me alone,” I seem to hear it say. I was all alone on the trail with nary an idea of where I was in the forest too.

My heart was racing. Not from jogging but the panic of still being in the thick of the forest while darkness weighed in. I wanted to backtrack my route of the past 1.5 hours but decided to continue forward. Boy am I glad I did! Fifteen minutes later, I saw the glimmer of electric lights. I’m back to the comforts of organised chaos. In life, some people take a long tme to reach their destinations on foot while others get there faster by cars, but ultimately we get there. The speed is vastly different. So are the rewards.

Sweat drenched and following a road that I had no idea where it leads, I was enchanted by this scene that juxtaposed the light from a street lamp with the ample moon. They seem to be of the same size here, but we know the scale and reach of their illumination differ at a level beyond comparison… Kinda like what small minds see, and what big hearts show.

I got more than just a cardio workout with this jog as I exercised my eyes and spirit at the same time with beautiful encounters of landscapes both external and internal.

Much of the paths I’d trodden were new to me and although I didn’t know where I was most of the time, having only one road ahead of me provided a consolation that while I’m clueless, I’m not totally lost. If only life is just as clear-cut!

Will definitely jog here more often from now on. And leave all image recording devices at home!

Bali : So Culture, Very Nature

Travel Period : 29 Sep – 5 Oct 2010

For many years, Bali eluded me. It was for me, what a transparent glass jar full of candy high on a shelf would be for a child. Or a very short person. Who likes sweets. I was that financially short person who never quite had the means to reach it. Bali isn’t an expensive place to go to from Singapore but when one starts realising just how hard-earned money is, spending it became a personal taboo.

I joined the workforce in 2000 and Bali has always been a place I wanted to visit. Friends who’ve been there all raved about it. When I saved up enough, that’s where I’m gonna go. Then in 2002, the Bali bombing happened and its appeal as a tropical paradise went up in smoke.

Handsome as it stands, the epitaph is an ugly keloid on the history of Indonesia that marked the worst act of terrorism to date. Extremism is a killer.

Who could forget that terrible turn of events on 12 Oct 2002 when religious extremists bombed Paddy’s Bar and Sari Club, two popular nightspots at the tourist district of Jl Legian in Kuta, leaving more than 200 dead and scores injured? Then 3 years later, on 1 Oct 2005, another series of terrorist suicide bombings exploded in Kuta and the neighbouring Jambaran beach resort. Holidaying in Bali became sort of a roulette suicide mission in itself.

But the terrorist situation seems to have diffused in the last couple of years with increased security collaboration between the Indonesian government and the various embassies, especially Australia. So I decided it’s time to visit this island of the gods.

AIRFARE & ACCOMODATION

My airfare was booked about 4 months in advance during a Jetstar promotion. For accommodation, we decided to spend 3 nights in Kuta and 3 nights in Seminyak. Kuta and Seminyak are along the same stretch of beach. While the Kuta area is more vibrant and messy, the Seminyak district has a laid-back feel with many nice-looking hotels and resorts. In-between the 2 is the Legian area where its beach is known as Double Six. It is possible to walk along the beach from Kuta to Legian to Seminyak in about an hour.

Jetstar Ticket : S$28.00 return – not inclusive of Rp 150,000 (S$22.50) airport tax paid when departing from Bali

Exchange Rate : S$1.00 = Rp 6,670 / Rp 1,000 = S$0.15

Tune Hotel, Kuta : Approx. S$25.00 per Single Room per night

The Tune budget hotel chain is great value for just having a place to sleep at night. I’ve stayed in Tune Penang and Tune Kuching and my experiences were always pleasant. This hotel choice is great when you’ve travelling with friends because the cheap rates mean you can get a room each rather than having to share.

Basic room amenities with no frills, Tune hotels are ideal for budget travellers who won't be spending much time in the room.

In Bali, there’re 2 Tune Hotels – Kuta and Legian. I don’t know about the Legian one, but the Single Room option in Kuta feels like a jail cell. A small window in the room opens out to a common corridor. In Penang and Kuching, the rooms have large windows that provided street or city views. Tune Kuta is about a 5-minute walk to Kuta Beach so it’s pretty convenient.

Harmony Hotel, Seminyak : Approx. S$85 per Deluxe Room per night

The Harmony Hotel resembles a collection of semi-detached houses facing a common pool. The rooms are spacious so it was very comfortable even for triple-sharing. There’s nothing really wow about the hotel but I love it that there’s free wi-fi and free use of the hotel’s computers that comes with Photoshop CS2 for image editing! The internet connection was pretty fast too.

Harmony Hotel Seminyak is a cozy & small hotel where you're very likely to know all the guests staying there within a very short time.

The staff was friendly, the pool relaxing and the hotel environment is clean and tidy. The only thing that sucked at this hotel was its boring breakfast which hardly had any variety in its menu. There were only 4 items and I had to pay when I asked for 2 sunny side up eggs.

TRANSPORTATION IN BALI

For tourists, the best way to travel around Bali is by hiring a car and driver. All hotels have cars for hire or you could just get a metered cab on the streets. Every few steps you take, there will be cab and private car drivers who will ask to take you around so there’s really no need to worry about transport. There are other modes of transport such as the bemo, which is basically a van, and buses that the locals ride in but I never saw a bemo or bus-stop so I have no idea where to get on or get off.

The flag down rate for a cab is Rp 5,000 (S$0.75); each increment per kilometer is Rp 4,500, and if you require the cab to wait for you while you visit the tourist attractions, a charge of Rp 30,000 (S$4.50) per hour applies.

Traffic in Bali : Skinny roads, fat vans & APVs, hundreds of motorcycles, few traffic rules... It's a science being a pedestrian here.

Generally, the cab drivers will try to get you to book their cab for the whole day to go sightseeing and they all come prepared with a chart listing all the attractions. They can also suggest an itinerary for you. Booking a cab for a full day of about 10 hours is around Rp 300,000 (S$45.00). If the places you want to go to cover long distances, the driver may ask for an additional petrol charge which ranges from Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 (S$7.50 – S$15.00). If you hire transport from the hotel, the petrol charges are mandatory but with transport hired off the streets, you can always negotiate with the driver.

On our first day, the 3 of us booked a 7-seater APV from Tune Hotel for 10 hours at the published rate of Rp 360,000 / S$54.00. We also had to pay a Rp 100,000 charge for petrol. But our day’s tour lasted 13 hours so we paid an additional Rp 100,000 for the over time. In the end, we paid a total of Rp 560,000 / S$84.00 for the day trip (S$28.00 per person) which brought us to Batubulan (to watch Barong and Kris Dance), Royal Family Temple, Goa Gajah (Elephant Temple), Gunung Kawi temple, Tirta Empul temple, Batur Volcano, Tegallalang rice terraces, Kokokan (bird watching) and Ubud Palace (to watch Legong Trance & Paradise Dance).

A great way to zip around Bali is the motorcycle. Most rental places don't ask to see your license but if you have no experience at all, better don't try because the traffic lacks discipline and the roads are not well sign-posted.

A 10-hour packaged day tour with a similar itinerary costs between US$35.00 and US$45.00, so booking our own transport seemed like cheaper way to explore Bali. However, when factoring in all the entrance fees to the attractions and meals, following a packaged tour if you don’t have many travelling companions may be a better deal. But of course, the good thing about having our own transport is that we don’t have to follow a group schedule and can take our time to see the sights and skip those we’re not interested in. The exception is if you intend to go white water rafting because it is more economical to join a package tour.

We also tried the flag-down cab mode of transport on our fourth day. After some negotiation, we paid Rp 300,000 / S$45.00 for an 8-hour day tour. The fare includes petrol and the cab driver suggested places for us to visit. We were brought to the center of Ubud where we visited the Ubud Palace, Ubud Market, had Babi Guling, visited the Monkey Forest Temple, Mengwi Temple, and Tanah Lot sea temple. Other than an occasional jam during peak hours, traffic in Bali is pretty smooth flowing.

This is Nyoman, our booked driver with the APV from Tune Hotel. On hindsight, it may be better to hire transport off the streets because with hotel transport, the drivers will bring you to eat at places where they probably get a commission from so you don't choice.

CULTURAL ENCHANTMENTS

As soon as I stepped out of the Bali airport, the first thing I noticed was that the air smells different. It smells of the sea. And the other thing I noticed was the distinctive motifs and cultural emblems used in Balinese architecture.

The whole island is one big intricately carved living museum of culture and arts. Everywhere we went, original modern art is infused with the traditional artistry of elaborate temples. The island should be called Bartli.

Saw the traditional Legong dance for the first time and I immediately fell in love with it. Totally mesmerised by the precision grace of the dancers and their big, expressive eyes.

The interesting thing about Bali is that it is a Hindu island in a Muslim country. That explains the strong Hinduism-Buddhism influences in its artistic heritage. Many of the stories and myths in the Mahabharata and Ramayana school of Buddhism comes alive in gigantic statues scattered around the island that mark the junctions of important roads, in traditional dances such as the Legon, Dagong and Kecak, and on carvings of thousands of beautiful temples.

The accentuated way that a day says "goodbye" was made even more spectacular with the 15th century Tanah Lot Temple.

One cannot be considered to have visited Bali if you have not seen the captivating Legong dance and the awe-inspiring Tanah Lot and Uluwatu sea temples. Especially at sunset. The magnificent blend of man-made wonder with Mother Nature’s splendid colours created a view so beautiful, I wanted to cry. Sunset in Bali starts at 6:00 pm so be there by that time to catch the best moments.

NATURAL AMUSEMENTS

I’ve always thought there’s nothing more to Bali than just temples and beaches, but I was so wrong when I realized just how many amusements parks of nature there are on the island. Rice terraces and never-ending stretches of corn fields aside, the island bleeds with countless rivers and waterfalls, and offers a wide range of activities to delight in nature’s bosoms.

Dense forests, raging rivers, wide beaches, live volcanoes and a whole lot of monkey business... Bali truly brings nature to your doorstep.

From close encounters with monkeys at the Sacred Monkey Forest Temple, to seeing live volcanoes, to jungle trekking and swimming with dolphins, I wished I could do them all. But alas, budget and time decided that I should not be greedy and save them for future visits to Bali. Yes, I’ll definitely go back again.

Bali is dominated by 2 volcanoes - Agung and Batur. The majestic Batur volcano (this photo) is still active and hiking trips can be taken to see its lava pools.

Of all the encounters with nature in this trip, my most memorable experience was white water rafting at the Tegala Wala river. I’ll share more about it later in a post dedicated to it because riding directly on the raw power of nature was just simply too awesome!

SHOPPING & FOOD

If there’s only one thing you remember about shopping in Bali is to BARGAIN. Everything can and should be bargained. And you can push the prices down as low as just 20% of the asking price. Yes, I’m not kidding. I have lots of anecdotes in being a fool to pay a higher price. The following are some examples…

Bali will put shopaholics into overdrive. There're tons of shops everywhere and the Ubud Market (this photo) will tempt even the most retail adverse to buy something.

Sunglasses – I bought a pair of sunglasses at a shop for Rp 50,000 / S$7.50. Then when I was at the beach, I was offered the exact same pair of glasses for Rp 20,000.

Straw Hat – The asking price for a woven straw hat was Rp 150,000 / S$22.50. I offered Rp 40,000. No deal. I raised it to Rp 60,000. Still no deal. I walked away. I was promptly called back and sold the hat for Rp 60,000 / S$9.00.

Henna Tattoo – I first got a rather large henna tattoo on my back for Rp 70,000 / S$10.50. On the next day, I got a slightly smaller but equally intricate tattoo on my arm for just Rp 20,000 / S$3.00.

Didn't really do much shopping but I did buy 2 henna tattoos, a straw hat, a necklace with a pendant that is the symbol of Bali, 3 sunglasses and a Bali t-shirt.

One of the best ways to bargain is when you already possess a piece of the item, eg. sunglasses. When the vendors on the beach saw me wearing the sunglasses, they asked how much I got it for. Even though I got it for Rp 50,000, I said Rp 40,000. And the next thing I knew, I was offered 2 of the exact same sunglasses in different colours for Rp 40,000. Same thing with the tattoo. They saw, they asked the price and offered a lower price to get more tattoos on me.

If they don’t want to lower the price, just walk away. There’re many shops and vendors selling the same things. They’ll likely ask you back. In fact, you can’t walk 2 steps without someone trying to sell you something or offer to drive you around. It can be irritating but I guess tourism hasn’t been reinstated after all the bomb scares.

The famous Ibu Oca Babi Guling (Ibu Oca roast suckling pig) near Ubud Palace is well deserving of its fame. I've never tasted pork of such soft texture, it's like liquid meat.

As for food, it’s generally not cheap in Bali. A meal will set you back for about S$5.00 even at the local warungs (foodstalls like Singapore’s local coffeeshops). The most expensive meal I had was at The Cruise restaurant at Jimbaran, a popular area for fresh seafood where you dine on the beach. The dinner for 2 set us back about S$55.00 for 3 dishes (squid, fish, and prawns) and 2 small glasses of white wine. Taste-wise, it’s not bad but not so unusual that I think they’re worth the price.

The best food we had was at Warung Murah in Seminyak. It is like a chap chye beung (mixed vegetable rice) stall in Singapore but the food is delicious at a reasonable price. I love the chicken skewer and beef curry there. Address : Jln. Double Six, No. 99. Another yummylicious place to eat is a fastfood outlet, Es Teler77, at Discovery Shopping Centre in Kuta. The avocado, coconut and jackfruit dessert is divine.

CELEBRATING LIFE IN BALI

There’s no reason to not celebrate or enjoy life in Bali. It may not be polished or offer the convenience of city-living but there’s a certain magic in the atmosphere where one can live it up, or find solace in the abundance of nature.

For a place that has survived terrible acts against the freedom of belief, Bali invokes a sense of peace that’s not to be taken for granted. While its people are friendly and cheerful, there’s no denying that life is pretty hard there. And the best way to forget about life’s troubles is to celebrate with the Kuta Karnival which is held every year around late September to early November to heal the 2002 tragedy.

Celebrate Life Lah! loves the theme for this year's Kuta Karnival which calls for a Celebration of Life!

For a first time visit to Bali, I can see many reasons to celebrate life there. If it’s not for the beaches, culture and nature, it is purely for the fact that a piece of paradise like this exists on earth. Please let peace prevail.

Ah Lian Vs. Lily

Ah Beng and Ah Lian went on a date at Singapore Botanic Gardens. At the spur of romance, Ah Beng plucked a jubilantly blossomed water lily from a nearby pond and gave it to his sweetheart.

“Wa diam diam kua dio jit aey huey, wa dio siong ki li (Every time I see this flower, I think about you),” he said lovingly.

Ah Lian looked at the beautiful flower and cupped her lover’s face in her hands. She looked deep into Ah Beng’s eyes, tears brimming from hers. She started to cry.

“This flower is salah (wrong)!” she wailed. “I am lian huey (lotus flower), not water leelee!”

For the uninitiated, Ah Lian is a derogatory nickname given to a subculture of Singaporean girls, typically teenagers, who are characterized by loud, uncouth behavior and mismatched fashion sense. They’re also associated with gangsterism in the early days. But I think they’re kinda cool!

‘Lian’ is derived from 莲花, which is Chinese for lotus flower. I can’t trace the etymology of why this word was used to represent this group but presumably, it’s due to the common usage of 莲 ‘lian’ in girl’s name.

Are you like Ah Beng and can’t tell the difference between a lotus and a water lily? Well, not that being able to identify them correctly is crucial to survival, but I thought it is rather interesting how these two aquatic plants are same same but different!

A friend recently went to Pulau Ubin and knowing that I like taking photos of lotuses, tagged me in a photo showing a lotus pond there. But it was a water lily pond, not lotus. To her, the difference is negligible and I totally agree that the point is not in identifying the flowers correctly, but to enjoy the great outdoors.

But would you put salt in your coffee and sugar on your French fries? Both seasoning without labels can look the same, yet what a difference they make in taste! I wouldn’t go all the way to Changi and take a boat to Pulau Ubin just to photograph water lilies because great pictures can come from them even in a small pot. Lotuses on the other hand, in my preference, look best when photographed in a big open pond.

But for a change from the concrete jungle on mainland to the rustic, back to nature appeal of Pulau Ubin, I would still make the trip. Some day. When I’m not lazy. And I think it’s soon.

Seems like I’m distracted from what I want to talk about again… and that’s how to tell the difference between a lotus from a water lily. Actually, it’s very obvious. The easiest way to differentiate them is their leaves.

Lotuses have leaves that extend out and above the water whereas lilies have leaves that float or sit on the water surface. The other difference is that the lotus has a fruiting body in the middle that gives us lotus pods, whereas water lily produces nectar.

For me, I differentiate between lotus and lily simply from the shape of their petals. Lilies have petals shaped like the fingers, and lotuses have petals that are shaped like a closed palm.

Knowing the difference between a lotus and water lily now, Ah Beng scoured all 63.7 hectares of the botanic gardens in search of the flower that befitted his darling’s name. His eyes descended on a bril莲t bloom in a lotus pond and swiftly plucked it for Ah Lian.

Just then, a park ranger came up to him and handed him a S$500 fine for plucking flowers in the garden. *gua gua gua…*

Butt-Face & the Pest

If this spider was found at home, it would be a pest. But when it was found in its natural habitat at Fort Canning Park, it’s a very welcomed guest for my camera!

Not sure if this is a species of the orb-weaver spiders but it sure is beautiful. To get this shot, well, I gave nature a little help… Okay, let’s say nudge… Alright, it’s a push!

Not something I’m proud of and definitely against the ethics of nature photography, but I ensured that the spider was not hurt in any way and its web remained unbroken.

Since I got a new tripod and haven’t returned my friend his macro lens, I thought I’d squeeze in a few more macro nature shoots last week. I was so glad I wasn’t lazy and got my butt out to shoot! And I got this bug with an almost human-faced butt!

I didn’t get many shots at Fort Canning that day because I went in the late afternoon and after about 2 hours of shooting nothing, I decided to pack up and go. As I was leaving, I saw a thin veil of web whispering between two leaves. A spider must be nearby.

Next to the web was a leaf held slightly curved with a thick mesh of webbing. The spider was in its leaf ‘burrow’ underneath the web. I tried blowing at it. It didn’t move. I took a leaf and gently tap the thick web. I was ignored.

So I picked up a twig and pushed it through one opening of the burrow to get the spider out. It fought me for a while but finally scurried out. And I was like, ‘Wow!’ After a few failed shots, I decided to set up my tripod. That was the first time my new tripod opened its legs. I’m glad its virginity wasn’t wasted!

I thought the spider’s back looked like a Japanese kabuki mask. I wanted to reset my tripod to get a more face-on shot of its back but it ran back into its home. I must be a pest to it. I’m sure it wished it had human Baygon.

MacroMania!

6:00 am. The birds have yet to start their morning song but I’m already all set to head out to Singapore Botanic Gardens. With today’s photo-shoot outing, I can finally put the Nature Macro Photography course assignment behind. I really can’t wait!

Took up the macro photography course in March and kinda regretted it. This mode of photography is just too much hard work! Shooting nature in macro is really a test of skill and a lot of patience. And that’s not even adding on the cost of specialized equipments such as a macro lens, extension tube, remote control, reflector, and a sturdy tripod. Can’t afford the full set of specialized equipments, I invested only in a Kenko extension tube (S$195) which is basically a set of rings to be attached between the lens and camera body.

Compared to an actual macro lens, focusing with the extension tube is more difficult and somehow, the photos aren’t as sharp (borrowed a friend’s 90mm marco lens to try today and can tell the difference in ease of use and image quality compared to my earlier shots taken with extension tubes).

The submission for my assignment is this coming Thursday and I’ve yet to select my 6 photos because most of them would be too pixilated when printed in 8R. Moreover, my shots are nondescript in subject matter and kinda boring. Hopefully I can pass the strict eyes of the instructor.

Anyway, here’s to share the places I went to for the macro shoots and may it be of help for those of you interested in Nature Macro Photography, or just to spend a morning or day with the jewels of Mother Nature.

Address : HortPark, 33 Hyderabad Road (off Alexandra Road)
Opening Hours : 9:00 am – 11:00 am (every last Saturday of the month)
Entrance Fee : Free

Found within the premises of HortPark, the butterfly enclosure is open only once every month for 2 hours only. To confirm the enclosure’s opening, call HortPark’s Visitor Services at 6471 5601.

Due to its limited visiting schedule, expect to see quite a crowd there. And it doesn’t help that the conservatory is very small so you’ll have to jostle for space for some serious photo-taking. But frame and take your shots quickly because you’ll be asked to leave once you’ve stayed there for a while. To take my shots, I entered and exited the enclosure 4 times.

There are quite a few species of butterflies there but most notably would be the large, white-winged Paper Kites. The other common butterfly would be the Lacewings. The big butterflies are pretty stationary so it is possible to get great shots of them

Caterpillars, larvae and butterfly eggs can also be found if you look closely enough amongst the plants. The enclosures volunteer curators are also helpful in pointing them out and giving some brief facts about the butterfly species.

The place is very well-kept, neat and well-landscaped. It is a really nice place to bring kids and get up-close and personal with the gentle wings, but don’t encourage them to touch the butterflies. Saw a parent stroke a butterfly’s wing in front of his kid and the next thing you know, the child reached out and grabbed the poor insect!

Address : 14A, Bah Soon Pah Road (near Yishun)
Opening Hours : 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily
Entrance Fee : S$3.00 for the Oh Farm Butterfly Lodge

Another place to photograph butterflies easily is the Oh Farm. Located off a slip road between an army camp and the Yishun Bottle Tree Park, the Oh Chin Huat Hydroponics Farm has a small butterfly enclosure tucked in corner within its premises.

It looked more like a forgotten garden in someone’s backyard than something that’s worth S$3.00 to see. The place was not well-kept with could-be beautiful plants gone stray, and the neglect in landscaping was awfully apparent.

But thankfully, the butterflies found here were varied enough and you can take your time to set up your shots for macro-ing them. However, the lighting condition wasn’t too ideal as only half the lodge gets the morning sun while the other half seemed perpetually shadowed. So it is useful to bring along a reflector to bounce light onto a butterfly subject.

Again, the Paper Kites and Lacewings are common here, but I also saw Monarch butterflies and a couple of other species I’ve yet to learn their names. For photography enthusiasts, this place has good potential for macro shots; but for a leisurely visit, I would give it a miss.

Address : 200, Mandai Lake Road (before Mandai Zoo)
Opening Hours : 8:00 am – 6:00 pm daily
Entrance Fee : Adult – S$3.50, Senior Citizen – S$1.50, Child – S$1.00

I heard that the Mandai Orchid Garden is going to close soon. I hope this rumour is untrue because it seemed quite a waste to close an interesting place like this.

It may not be as well-manicured as some of the specialty gardens in Singapore, but I personally found it quite charming both for photography and also a day trip for the family.

It has got quite a lot of plant species, a herbs and spices garden, a delightful spread of Torch Gingers, a pond filled with dragonflies and of course, rows of orchids.

I didn’t manage to cover the whole place when we had our photo outing there and stayed mostly around the pond area. Apart from dragonflies, I also caught some shots of a grasshopper and garden snail. I bet there would be more species of insects to shoot there if I looked hard enough.

Oh, and if you say you’re photographer (of course must show you have the gears lah!) and you’ve been there before, you can get in for S$1.50 instead of paying S$3.50. But, this preferential pricing is subjected to the cashier’s ‘assessment’.

Before the actual shoot, we arrived at about 7:00 am to a lake diagonally across the MOG to catch the sunrise. It was well-worth the early wake as the water body and forest terrain created a nice frame for the rising sun.

Address : 1, Cluny Road
Opening Hours : 5:00 am – 12 midnight daily
Entrance Fee : Free

I believe that anyone learning photography in Singapore would have been to this ‘national’ garden at one point or another. When I took up my Basic Digital Photography course in October 2009, we had a photo outing here.

Then for this Nature Macro Photography course, one of our planned outings was to SBG too but was later changed to a smaller location so that it’s easier for the instructor to coach us. And I can see why. SBG is huge and offers lots of plant and insect life to zoom in on.

But that’s also the problem. Because the subjects were so scattered, I tended to be frugal with what I wanted to shoot and in the end, shot very little. Compared to the number of shots I had today (28) with the other smaller locations (50 – 100), small is actually more.

On top of that, walking from one bush to another takes quite a bit of time as they’re a distance away and that’s losing precious shoot time in the soft morning light. So I think it’s useful to identify a feature there (eg. pond, cactus garden, orchid garden, etc) that catches the light and just stick to it and shoot.

Although the bugs were harder to find and the place huge, I preferred shooting at SBG because it is accessible and has lots of amenities. For a beginner like me, the array of flora and fauna is also a sort of guarantee that I’ll go home with some decent shots.

Address : Riverside Road (15-minutes walk from Woodlands MRT)
Opening Hours : All day (Lighting hours from 7:00 pm – 7:00 am)
Entrance Fee : Free

For seasoned nature macro photographers, Admiralty Park is like a second home. On most mornings, and even at night, you can find photographers with their power gears and 2 ‘paperbag lights’ poking into bushes.

Shooting here is very rewarding because of the extremely wide variety of bugs and catching them in their natural habitats. But I find Admiralty Park to be the best place to photograph spiders.

I’ve seen lots of great spider photos taken by my friends and even encountered a pretty huge and colourful St Andrew Cross Spider during my outing there. This is one saint I sure don’t want to bump into. Yikes!

I understand why Admiralty Park keeps nature photographers coming back again and again, and I would too if I’m not staying so far away.

But who am I kidding? I can’t wait to stop shooting in macro. Maybe my interest will be ignited in future when I get a good tripod, invest in a macro lens and flash. For now, I’m just happy if I can find 6 photos and pass the course…